10 Days in Belize: An Adventure Filled Itinerary

If you’re thinking about how to spend 10 adventure-filled days in Belize, then you’ve come to the right place. Even though Belize is the second smallest country in Central America, it has a wide variety of activities to offer its visitors. On mainland Belize we visited many Maya ruins, took tours through crazy cave systems, hiked along jungle trails, cooled off in rivers, drove along scenic roads and admired many stunning views of the mountains. However, Belize is also a diver’s paradise thanks to the Belize Barrier Reef, which makes the country a fantastic destination if you love water activities as well.

We spent 2 full weeks in the country and had no trouble filling up our days with adventurous, as well as cultural, experiences. So, in this guide we’ve put together a 10-day itinerary for Belize which includes a variety of activities that we absolutely loved.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Belize, then watch our Belize Series on YouTube. (We’ve been getting plenty of love on it from Belizeans)!

About Belize

Belize is the second smallest country in Central America based on land area. The country is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the south and west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. In addition, Belize also shares a maritime border with Honduras.

Belize is a former British Colony, and was known as British Honduras until 1973. Therefore, the country’s official language is English. This makes Belize the only English-speaking country in Central America. Most Belizeans also speak fluent Spanish, as well as Belizean Creole, three Maya languages and Garifuna.

Although Belize City is the most populous city in the country, the capital city is actually Belmopan. Belize is also home to the Belize Barrier Reef, which is the second largest coral reef system in the world.

The official currency is the Belize Dollar (BZD), which is fixed to the US Dollar at $2BZD = $1US.

Our Tips on Planning a 10-Day Belize Itinerary

Even though Belize is the second smallest country in Central America, it’s filled with a variety of places to visit and things to do. Due to its size, you won’t need to spend too long travelling between destinations, which means that you can pack quite a lot into just 10 days.

Below we’ve highlighted a few points you should consider as you’re planning your trip:

Entry and Exit Points in Belize

We suggest starting to plan your 10 days in Belize by choosing your entry and exit points from the country. Are you only in Belize for a short holiday where you’re flying in and out of Belize City? Or are you on a backpacking trip across Central America? This means you might be crossing the land border from either Mexico or Guatemala.

For example, we arrived to San Ignacio in Belize from Flores in Guatemala by crossing the land border. Then we flew out of the country from Belize City.

Your Personal Interests

It’s also important to think about your interests. Belize has a variety of attractions, from Maya ruins to natural beauty spots like caves and waterfalls, and scenic roads to gorgeous diving and snorkeling spots. Here you can be as adventurous or as relaxed as you like depending on how you want your holiday to look.

Once you have an idea of what you want to be doing, you can start diving into the details of each location to see if you’d like to spend more or less time somewhere, or skip it entirely. Our 10-day Belize itinerary has a bit of everything, which means that you can follow it as closely or loosely as you wish.

Method of Transport

Belize is a small country, so getting around isn’t going to take you too long. However, there are many different ways to travel from one place to another, and what you choose will depend on how much time you have, your personality and budget.

If you want comfort and convenience then you may decide to either fly to your final destination or book a tourist shuttle. Unless you’re flying, you’ll have to take a water taxi to reach the cayes from the mainland. Hiring a car is also a fantastic way to see Belize and luckily it’s very easy to drive around the country. However, if your budget is smaller, you may opt to use public transport to travel around. This will take slightly longer but will give you a much more authentic experience.

10 Days in Belize – Best Things to Do

If you’d like to do a bit of adventure travel, as well as have some well-deserved relaxation time, then we suggest splitting up your 10 days in Belize by basing yourself in San Ignacio for half of it and spending the other half on one of the cayes off the mainland.

If you’re arriving and departing from Belize City, we recommend going to San Ignacio first and ending your stay on the cayes. We suggest the same if you’re coming from Guatemala. However, if you’re coming from the Yucatan in Mexico and are heading to Guatemala next, then it would make more sense to stay on one of the cayes for a few nights first before heading to San Ignacio.

Day 1. Arriving to San Ignacio

If you’re arriving to Belize City on an international flight, you can either book a tourist shuttle, hire a car from the airport, or take a public bus from the city to San Ignacio. We arrived to San Ignacio from Flores in Guatemala after spending 2 months hiking volcanoes and visiting Maya ruins in the country.

Depending on the time of your arrival, you could go for a little wander around San Ignacio; although don’t expect it to be the prettiest town you’ll ever visit. San Ignacio’s surroundings are what make it the perfect place to be based for adventurous pursuits.

Day 2. Visiting Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Maya Ruins

On your first full day we suggest taking it easy and visiting a few Maya ruins located near San Ignacio.

One of them is Xunantunich Ruins, located to the southwest of town. It is one of the largest Maya sites in the Belize River Valley. We wrote a short guide on how to visit Xunantunich Ruins where we listed all the different ways you can get there from San Ignacio, as well as including some general details about the site such as opening times, the entry fee, available facilities and some of the best structures to see.

Top Tip. If you’d like to book an organised tour, then we recommend booking this Xunantunich and cave or river tubing combo.

The other Maya site you should visit in San Ignacio is Cahal Pech. The ruins are located just on the outskirts of town, which means that you can easily get there on foot from your accommodation. Even though it’s a small site, it contains about 40 structures including temple pyramids and residential buildings. You can climb to the top of all the temples, which gives you a lovely overview of the site. There is also a small museum with plenty of information boards to help you learn about the Maya and the site.

We recommend allocating about an hour or so for your visit to Cahal Pech, depending on how much reading you want to do in the museum section.

Day 3. Driving the Hummingbird Highway

After a day of learning about the Maya, we recommend hiring a car for the next two days and going on some fun road trips. And why not start by driving along the most scenic road in Belize: the Hummingbird Highway.

This 86 km, well-maintained road offers panoramic views of the Maya Mountain Range, and passes a few national parks, rivers and scenic viewpoints. It connects Belmopan, Belize’s capital city, with Dangriga, which is located on the Caribbean Coast.

Whilst it only takes about 2 hours to drive it one-way from San Ignacio, we recommend allocating a full day to your drive. There are many beautiful places to stop along the way, such as St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park and Billy Barquedier National Park. We even drove slightly further off the highway at the end, to enjoy a little taste of the Caribbean Sea breeze in Hopkins.

We wrote a detailed article on everything you need to know about driving the Hummingbird Highway, including where to stop along the way. Don’t forget to also read our guide on driving a rental car in Belize before you set off.

Day 4. Visiting Caracol Ruins and Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

The following day, take your hire car on a more adventurous, yet still scenic, drive to Caracol Ruins. This archeological site is located about a 2 hour drive to the south of San Ignacio within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve.

Caracol is one of the best preserved and largest Maya ruins in Belize. It has many different structures including temple pyramids, ball courts and residential buildings. The tallest temple pyramid at the site is the 42m high Canaa (Sky Palace). Read our guide if you’d like to learn more about visiting Caracol.

The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a large protected area filled with natural pools, waterfalls and caves. Since the last entry to Caracol is at 2PM, we recommend driving there early in the morning and then stopping in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve on your way back. The main attractions you’ll want to visit within the reserve are:

• Big Rock Waterfalls,
• Rio on Pools, and
• Rio Frio Cave.

Top Tip. If you don’t want to hire a car in Belize, you can visit Caracol with this organised tour from San Ignacio that also includes a visit to the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

Day 5. ATM Cave Tour

It’s time to go on the most popular tour for adventure seekers in Belize: the ATM Cave Tour (Actun Tunichil Muknal). According to a National Geographic article, the ATM Cave is one of the most sacred caves in the world, along with the Bronze-Age Minoan Caves in Crete and St. Paul’s Grotto in Malta.

It’s actually a very intense full day tour that requires you to be physically fit, able to swim and not suffer from claustrophobia. Jon decided to do this tour without me for these reasons. The tour is probably a similar experience to the Cuevas de K’anba cave tour near Semuc Champey in Guatemala.

This natural museum provides you with an insight into the ancient Maya underworld, whilst taking you on an incredible caving adventure. During your tour through the cave you’ll be swimming, wading and scrambling to reach the resting place of the ‘crystal maiden,’ a complete female skeleton encased in crystals. You’ll also see other skeletal remains, as well as Maya artefacts and pottery.

We recommend booking the tour in advance because there is a daily limit of 125 tickets and people usually arrive from different parts of Belize, not just from San Ignacio. So, book in advance to avoid missing your chance.

The tour costs a minimum of 125 USD per person from San Ignacio. Jon went with Maya Walk Tours but you can also check out this tour with Belize Caving Expeditions. The guides take no more than 8 people in their group.

Note. You’re not allowed to take any cameras (phones and GoPro’s included) into the cave. Bring a complete change of clothes, and wear closed-toed footwear and socks.

Day 5 (Alternative). Green Iguana Project, Cacao Tour, and Belize Botanic Gardens

If you’re not keen on doing the ATM Cave tour, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. There’s plenty of other things to do in San Ignacio to fill up your day.

Start by visiting the Green Iguana Project, which is located inside the beautiful San Ignacio Resort Hotel. The admission fee is 22.50 BZD (11.25 USD) per person, which includes a 45-minute guided tour. During the tour you’ll learn the difference between the green and black iguanas, and about the aims of the conservation project.

Afterwards, consider joining a Maya cacao tour for a more cultural (and also delicious) experience. At AJAW Chocolate & Crafts, operated by a Maya family, you can learn about the importance of cacao in Maya culture, as well as the process of cacao making from start to finish. Tours are run every hour and last approximately one hour.

Lastly, spend your afternoon touring the Belize Botanic Gardens. Just book a shuttle directly with the botanic garden, which costs 15 BZD (7.50 USD) per person. The entry fee is another 15 BZD (7.50 USD) per person for a self guided tour. However, you can also book a guided tour if you want.

Day 6. Travelling to Caye Caulker or San Pedro on Ambergris Caye

It’s time to head to the Cayes! The two most popular places to stay are Caye Caulker and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. We put together a short guide to help determine which one is better for you, based on factors such as cost, crowds, atmosphere and amenities.

Getting to either Caye Caulker or San Pedro with a water taxi will take up a large portion of your day.

You’ll first have to get to the ferry terminal in Belize City from San Ignacio. We suggest getting a tourist shuttle that you can book at any tour agency in town. It takes a good 2 hours to get to the port from San Ignacio. Alternatively, you can also drive to Belize City and drop your hire car off, or take a public bus. The latter will be the most affordable option, but it’ll also take the longest.

Once at the ferry terminal, purchase your return ticket, check-in, drop your luggage off and board the boat. The boat ride should take anywhere between 1 and 2 hours depending on your final destination. Caye Caulker is closer, whereas San Pedro is an extra 30-minute’s ride away. For reference, we based ourselves in San Pedro.

Once you’ve checked in to your hotel, you can enjoy the rest of the day at the beach or one of the bars.

Day 7. Spend a Day Snorkeling or Diving

Diving or snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef are the best things to do from either Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. No matter which island you decide to stay on, you won’t have trouble finding a tour.

Two of the most popular spots for snorkeling are Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. There are many full-day or half-day excursions departing from both Caye Caulker or San Pedro, and they’re suited to all levels of snorkeling experience.

If you’re an experienced diver, you may want to dive in the Blue Hole, which is one of the most famous dive sites in the world. However, there are many other amazing spots too, especially if you’re a beginner diver or are wanting to get your PADI certificate.

Alternatively, you can also consider flying over the Blue Hole, as by taking a boat there you won’t actually be able to see it properly.

Day 8. Day Trip to Caye Caulker

On day 8, take a day trip to Caye Caulker or San Pedro, depending on where you’re staying. Since we based ourselves in San Pedro, we took a day trip to Caye Caulker.

Caye Caulker is the smaller sister of Ambergris Caye. It’s motto is “Go Slow”, so it’s a great place to relax and soak up the sun with a cold drink. You can take the water-taxi from San Pedro, which takes around 30 minutes.

Caye Caulker is tiny, so you can wander around for a bit, check out the artisan markets and grab some fry-jacks from Errolyn’s House of Fryjacks. Then head over to the Split, which is the main “beach” area. Here you can grab a drink and go for a swim in the water before catching the boat back to San Pedro.

Day 9. Relaxing Day in San Pedro

On your last full day in Belize, we suggest following the “Go Slow” motto of Caye Caulker and enjoy a relaxing day. There are plenty of relaxing things to do in San Pedro (or Caye Caulker). You can spend a lazy morning on the beach areas in front of the more luxury hotels, or next to your hotel’s swimming pool.

Then, rent a golf-cart and head over to the ‘not-so-secret’ Secret Beach. On the way, stop at the Truck Stop and grab some lunch before continuing on to the beach. Once there, find a sunbed, get a few drinks and go for a dip in the calm, clear water before heading back to San Pedro for dinner.

Day 10. Leaving Belize

After an adventure packed few days in Belize, it’s time to travel to your next destination, whether that be back home or in another country. Depending on your travel arrangements, you may either be flying to Belize City from the cayes or taking the water taxi back to the city.

Due to potential delays with the water-taxi, we suggest booking on an earlier one if you’re catching an international flight or bus from Belize City on the same day.

Final Thoughts on Spending 10 Days in Belize

We didn’t know that Belize had so much to offer before we arrived in the country. However, to our great surprise, we didn’t have any issues filling up our days with things to do. We particularly enjoyed our time in San Ignacio, and unless you really want to spend the majority of your time diving, snorkeling or by the beach, we suggest allocating slightly more days to San Ignacio.

Have you ever been to Belize before? If so, how many days did you spend in the country? If not, where would you go and what activities would you want to add to your Belize itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.